A needle in the eyeball would be up there on most people’s list of most feared procedures but that’s what South Windsor resident Max Finn has to endure every month.
Mr Finn has developed diabetic macular oedema, a complication of the type 2 diabetes he was diagnosed with four years ago.
Macular oedema is when fluid builds up in the macula, an area in the centre of the retina at the back of the eye. Usually it’s from blood vessels leaking.
The condition causes the macula to swell up and get thicker, causing vision problems.
He said the monthly injections, combined with glasses, have restored his sight almost completely, but he will have to continue treatment, which involves his eyes being clipped open, anaesthetic drops applied then the injection done, the rest of his life.
However a biodegradable implant which has just been put on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme would mean he’d only have to visit the ophthalmologist every six months.
The half-centrimetre wide implant called Ozurdex is injected into the eyeball where it slowly releases long-acting corticosteroid. It has to be replaced every 4-6 months.
Mr Finn said his doctor will advise when the new implant is advisable for his condition.
Around 3000 people in the Hawkesbury have diabetes, and about 185 of these would have, or will develop, diabetic macular oedema.
